Elgin City’s man of the match Conor O’Keefe has no qualms about being asked to fill the shoes of the club’s top forward Kane Hester.
For the second week in a row, the 23-year-old has led the solo line and he impressed in Saturday’s 4-2 SPFL Trust Trophy defeat against Caley Thistle.
With seven-goal Hester sidelined for the remainder of the month with a hamstring injury, O’Keefe’s pace troubled their full-time visitors and he lined Brian Cameron up for a superb goal to give City a 2-0 first half advantage.
Billy Mckay’s hat-trick and a Lewis Jamieson strike earned the joint holders a place in the last eight, but fleet-footed O’Keefe was shattered yet satisfied with his own contribution.
He said: “It was hard, playing against a top side, and they are top of the Championship for a reason.
“They turned it on a bit in the end, but we lost sloppy goals, which was always going to happen against such a fit side.
“I was knackered. The game plan was to use my pace and get in behind them. It worked for the first two goals.
“I am enjoying it. It’s good to try something different. It suits me as well to try and use my pace up front.
“It’s about me getting in behind and trying to hold play and get the support from my team-mates and it worked for the second goal.
“Their centre backs were comfortable on the ball and coming forward, so we felt it was could steal it up high, there was space to get in behind them.”
Confident for Coatbridge road trip
And the former St Mirren youth player insists there’s no reason why the Black and Whites can’t now kick upwards in League Two.
Their inconsistent form leaves them five points adrift of fourth-placed Forfar Athletic ahead of Saturday’s trip to Coatbridge to take on Albion Rovers, who are one place and two points behind them.
O’Keefe added: “We have performed a lot better in our last three games. The signs are there and we maybe just need a wee bit of luck to fall for us and put a run together to get into the play-offs again.
“We won against Albion Rovers here, but it will be a different kind of game against them away from home.
“It’s always different on that pitch, but we will go down there with confidence to come back with the three points.”
Loan signings further boost City
Manager Gavin Price has added a trio of players in on loan from higher divisions lately.
Tom Grivosti, who opened the scoring on Saturday, is settling in well from Ross County, midfielder Ross Draper has come in from League One Cove Rangers and will be fit and available soon, while also from League One, Falkirk forward Jaime Wilson will provide a fresh outlet.
O’Keefe is sure the latest additions to Gavin Price’s squad can make telling contributions.
He said: “They are all from higher levels, so they will bring experience and offer really good competition for places.”
Full time as Inverness win 4-2 and progress to the next round pic.twitter.com/gri9sX0vB7
— Elgin City F.C. (@ElginCityFC) October 9, 2021
